Tag Archives: South Korea

Chinese Tourism Starting to Climb Back?

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Chinese tourism is starting to climb back, according to COTRI (China Outbound Tourism Research Institute).

COTRI said in a prepared statement that the speed of the recovery process is impressive with reports from many cities indicating that it takes only about a week to get a new passport and that travel restrictions are also falling by the wayside quickly.

The clash between South Korea and China over discriminatory treatment seems to be over. South Koreans can now get visas for China again and the South Korean government has ended special treatment for the Chinese, COTRI said.

European Union countries have reportedly also agreed to phase out COVID-19 restrictions on travellers from China and will also stop random testing of travellers from China by the middle of March.

Chinese companies have also started investing in outbound tourism infrastructure again with the Shanghai retailer Yuyuan Tourist Mart announcing plans to invest about US$120 million in a Japanese ski resort project on Hokkaido.

Airlines are bringing back a multitude of routes to and from China and ticket prices are in most cases back to pre-pandemic levels, according to COTRI.

Business, studies and family reunions are major reasons for the first outbound travellers, the research institute said, but the first leisure tourists have already been sighted not only in the neighbouring countries but also in Sydney, Paris and Milan.

It was less than two months ago that Chinese citizens could again apply for passports and just two weeks ago that Chinese tour operators were officially allowed to sell outbound trips for what is called “group travel” to 20 destinations, even though most customers are said just to buy air tickets and hotel reservations.

Contributing to the interest in travel, COTRI said, are all the marriages that have been put on hold during COVID, expecting to result in a wave of honeymoon trips.

The year 2022 ended with a total number of outbound trips below nine million, about 5 per cent of the 2019 level. Five million of these trips went no further than Macau. Hong Kong welcomed 375,000 mainlanders, five times the number of 2021, but still less than 1 per cent of the 2019 arrivals.

Assuming no further disruptions or an attack on Taiwan, COTRI said, Chinese travellers could make the steep climb back to the top of all international tourism source markets during the current year.

COTRI is a research organization for the China outbound tourism market-based in Hamburg, Germany.

Diamond Princess Set for Japan Reposition

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After resuming service on the West Coast in November, the Diamond Princess is setting sail to Japan on Sunday.

Scheduled for a complete program in the Asian country, the Princess Cruises’ vessel is departing on a repositioning voyage to Yokohama – a port near Tokyo.

The 25-night Pacific Crossing itinerary sails from the West Coast and includes visits to ports in Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia.

Starting on March 15, the Diamond Princess is set to offer a series of five- to 19-day cruises to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In addition to Yokohama, the program also includes departures from Kobe and features a total of 38 destinations in three countries, as well as 43 unique itineraries and 57 departures.

Ports of call include Sakata, Naha, Nagasaki, Otaru, Hakodate, Nagasaki, Ishigaki, Cheju, Busan, Keelung and more.

Upon completing its program in Japan, the Diamond Princess is set to reposition to Southeast Asia for a winter season visiting Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and others.

Built-in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, the Diamond Princess originally entered service in March 2004.

According to Princess, the 113,000-ton vessel was designed to cruise to Japanese ports and offers the Princess MedallionClass experience, which allows guests to personalize their cruises with a “touchless and effortless” service.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the Diamond Princess underwent a major renovation in 2019. At the time, the 2,600-guest ship received new features, such as Japanese bidets in suites and public restrooms.

The ship’s Movies Under The Stars screen was also updated, receiving new surround sound digital audio, while the main pool deck LED lighting received enhancements for a more vibrant and colourful entertainment experience.

Further general refurbishments include upgraded digital audio systems for the Princess Theater, Explorers Lounge and Club Fusion, as well as new furnishings in the Horizon Court buffet area, and more.

Total Enters Giant Korean Floating Wind Projects in Green Push

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offshore wind

By Francois de Beaupuy (Bloomberg) — Total SE will team up with Macquarie Group’s bank to develop more than 2 gigawatts of floating wind farms off South Korea, the latest push by the French oil and gas giant to diversify into clean energy.

Total and European peers such as Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc have vowed to reduce their exposure to fossil fuels and trim emissions as governments, consumers and investors demand increased efforts to tackle global warming. Floating wind parks at the scale planned by Total — dwarfing current sites — will be key to bringing down the cost of the emerging technology.

The French major and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group will develop five floating wind farms off the eastern and southern coasts of South Korea, Total said in a statement on Tuesday. They plan to start building the first 500-megawatt project by the end of 2023. That compares with the 30 megawatts of capacity at Equinor ASA’s Hywind site off Scotland, the biggest operating floating wind project so far.

The plan is “in line with Total’s strategy to profitably develop renewable energy worldwide and contribute to our net-zero ambition,” Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said in the statement. “Thanks to its extensive experience in offshore projects, in cooperation with many Korean shipyards, Total is particularly well-positioned to contribute to the successful development of this new technology.”

Developers have recently started to test large floating wind turbines, aiming to install them in areas that lack shallow waters, where traditional offshore turbines can be anchored to the seabed. Total itself took a majority stake in a floating wind project off Wales this year, reflecting its commitment to invest in the technology while tapping its experience developing oil and gas offshore.

The total has also stepped up spending on renewable energy more broadly, with investments this year in large solar developments in India and Qatar, a giant wind farm in the North Sea, and growth in clean power in Spain and France. The company aims to have stakes in at least 25 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity in 2025, up from more than 5 gigawatts currently.

Total didn’t discuss funding of the Korean wind farms in its statement.